This fist came out of the embodiment exercise during the Arrivals workshop in March 2023. It occured at a moment when my great grandmother was tightly holding her walking child’s hand on the right side while holding another child on her left hip and moving about in space. The theme of hands came out in my group’s workshop and after rewatching some of the video footage I found myself compelled by this moment of my/my great grandmother’s hand. It also seemed to be compelling to the videographer, given that they zoomed in on it. There is something about the shape and configuration of my/her hand and fingers that calls to me. The fist exudes assertiveness and strength but curiously, not aggression – perhaps due to the placement of the thumb.
Each rotation tells me a different story.
Holding…? Guarding…? Advocating…? Placing…? Giving…? Offering…? Taking…? Passing?
The circular pattern when all four images are placed together call out for community and growth as the imperfections in the image quality give birth to a beautiful flower.
All of this resonates with who I know my great grandmother to be.
(The original direction is in the top left corner.)
